Beet-harvester.



J. H. TIETGE.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2i, 1914.

m w y E .IPT /v N F. Re R 8 m .m 0 5 r W7. A E u 4 m M A WITNESSES M M J. H. TIETGE.

BEET HARVESTER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZI, mm.

1,170,944. Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

4 SHEETS 'SHEET 2 J. H. HUGE.

BEET HARVESTEH. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, mm.

Q lzllcntml Feb. 19113.

4 SHEHS SHEH J WITNESSES: 9/ IN [/5 N {08 J H. Tletge. 90% 20. 62 4. Ai'TORNEV J. H. TIETGE.

BEET HARVESTER APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE 27,19.

1170,94 1. Pilflfllttfd Feb. b, 1916.

4 SHEETS--SHEET 4.

v INVENTOR WITNESSES. J ifl' gfye, 5224 M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. TIETGE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

BEET-HARVEST ER.

Application filed June 27, 1914.

To (11/ I lmm if may concern.

lie it known that I. JOHN H. TIETGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Har vcsters: and I do declare the following to be a full. clear. and exact description of the in vention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. reference being had t0 letters and figures of reference marked (hereon. which form apart of this specification.

My invention relates to beet harvesters,

aml more 1 articularly to a machine for harvesting sugar 'beets: the principal object of the invention being to provide a machine which may be drawn through the field to cut the tops from the beets. dig the beets from the ground. and elevate the tops and beet bodies to a wagon box.

In accomplishingthis object. I have provided the improved details of structure hereinafter described and illustrated in the :urcompanying drawings. wherein Figure l is a side elevation of a beet har vester constructed in accordance with my invention: the wheels on the near side being removed for betterillustration. Fig. II is a plan view of the same. Fig. III isa rear elevation'of the machine. Fig. IV is a transverse sectional view on the line l\'I\". Fig. I. Fig. Y is a detail view of the plow guiding lever. Fig. V1 is a detail sectional view of the. fifth wheel taken on the line VI-VI. Fig. I. Fig. VII is a detail perspective view of the lower portionofthe forward elevator, showing the sickle and reel. Fig. VIII is a detail perspective view of the lower portion of the forwardelevator lookiug from the left oblique toward the front of the sickle and reel. Fig. IX is a plan view of the front axle. and draft gear.

Referring more in detail to the parts: 1 designates a frame. preferably composed of angle iron. and having rear brackets 2 in which is revolubly mounted an axle. 3. Rigidly mounted neareach end of the axle 3, by means of pins 4 are wheels 5. which may be adjusted inwardly to track in narrow rows by removing the pins 4, moving the wheels inwardly and replacing. the pins so as to project through ano or set of aper- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 847,647.

tures (3 in theaxle. Rigidly supported beneath the forward end of the frame, by means of side and rear braces 8 is the upper portion 9 of a fifth wheel, having a central longitudinal base groove 10 in which is mounted a bar 11. Pivotally mounted beneath the portion 9 is the lower part 12 of the fifth wheel to which is rigidly secured the square axle 13; the parts being held in operative relation by means of a king-bolt 14, which passes through the portion 9, bar 11, part 12 and axle 13. Near the outer ends of the axle 13 are wheels 1-4 which are revolubly mounted on said axle. between the collars 15 and which are adapted for adjustment inwardly by removing the pins 16 from the collars and placing them in another set of holes 17 in the axle. Attached to the rear of the bar 11 by means of links 18 is a plow beam 19, which is arched at- 20 to permit the front axle to turn on its mounting and which carries a mold-board 21 at the rear. To the forward endof the bar 11 is secured the tongue 23, so that the draft for the plow is applied directly through the bar 11. thereby making it possible to construct the wagon parts much lighter than if the plow was drawn from the frame. The tongue, 23 is provided with swingle and double. tree members 21. which are arranged. in the present case, to hitch four abreast. and with a framework 25 which projects laterally from each side of the tongue and is connected with eyes 26 on the axle to provide draft for the. running gear.

Pivotally connected with a bracket 28 on the rear of the plow beam 19. is a lever 29. which extends upwardly through a plate/30 secured to the platform 31 of the machine, and which is adapted for manual actuation to direct the transverse travel of the moldboard the platform and plate having a slotted aperture 31 through which the lever is projected. The lever 29 is provided with a plurality of edge notches 33 adapted to engage a pin 31 supported in brackets 35' on the frame. so that the mold-board may be supported at different elevations and so that the bar may have a substantially pivotal mounting. thereby permitting the plow to be moved laterally from several elevations and locked in various positions by means of the notched quadrant 37 and the elongated pawl 38 on the bar 29.

In order to raise and lower the plow to bring the different notches 33 in engagement with the pin 34, I provide a Windlass 40 mounted on the standards ll. of theframe and provided with a rope l2, which is secured to the lever 29, and with a hand-wheel l3 for manipulating the device.

Slidably mounted on the rear axle 3 and on the feather-key 44 is a bevel-gear wheel 5, having a grooved hub 46 for receiving a shifter lever 47 that is pivotally mounted on a bracket 4.8. The lever 47 is provided with a hand-actuated latch 49, which is adapted to engage the notched quadrant 50, so that the gear 45 maybe moved by means of the lever 47 and loclled at several points in its travel. I

Revolubly mounted in bearings 53,- which are carried by brackets 54 on the frame and in a bearing 55 revolubly mounted on the rear axle is ashaft .56, and rigidly mounted on said shaft adjacent the bearing 55 is a bevel pinion 57, which is adapted to receive the bevel gear 45 when the latter is shifted to one limit of its travel, so that as the machine is set in nigotion, power is transmitted from the rear axle to the shaft 56. The brackets 5i project from the side of the machine and carry shafts 58 and 59, on the former of which are pivotally mounted elevators 60 and 61 that extend downwardly and inwardly to a point near the center of the machine and are provided at their free ends with cables 62 which extend upwardly and connect with a windlass 63. The windlass 63 is mounted in standards 41 on the platform 31 at right angles to the Windlass 40 and is provided witha hand-Wheel 64 for raising and lowering the elevators.

Pivotally mounted on the shaft 59 on brackets 54 are two similar elevators 66 and 67 which extend upwardly and outwardly from the frame and are provided with cables 68 at their free ends which connect with a Windlass 69 which is mounted similarly to and extends parallel with the windlam 63 and is provided; with a hand-wheel 70.

'The elevatoriiigfiQ and 61 are driven from the shaft 58, i iltich receives; its power 'at each end fronigthe shaft 55 through the agency of theiii-belts 71, ,while the ele vators 66 and? are actuated from each side by the shaftfiQ, which receives its power from the shaft 58through chain belts 72; the latter elevators being preferably provided with chain belts 73 at each side for applying the motive power to each end of the elevator.

Extending fromthe shaft 58 along the sides of the elevators 60 and 61 are chain belts 75 which are bperatively connected with the shaft 76 at the free ends of said rlevators for the purpose presently described. The elevator 60 extends to apoint adjacent the mold-board and is adapted to rear end of said runner is a cable 78 which is attached near the forward part of the frame 1 to provide draft and relieve the shaft 5 f the strain incident in the travel of the riinncn77.

The elevators 6L and 67 are adapted for conveyingflbeet tops from the machine and may he cfirposed of any suitable material. such ascwkvas or the like; the former. sec tion being provided with a runner 75.: simi lar to the runner 77 and provided with a bearing at the front for revolublv support g he cr'fankedend portion 80 of the shaft 76. The 'krward part of said runnlzr is provided with a cable 81, which extends up- 'wardly and connects with the cable 78 to assist in equalizing the draft of the ele vators.

Rigidly secured to the runner 79 anal tending horizontally from the base of the,

elevator 61 is a trough 83, having an outer wall 8% which curves inwardly toward the canvas and having a sickle at the forward edge which is actuated by means of a pitman 86 from the crank shaft 80, and which is adapted to'sever'the beet tops from the bodies and deposit them into the trough 83to be taken up by the elevator 61 Extending forwardly from the trough 83 are curved fingers 88 which curve downwardly and forwardly and raise the tops into position to he out.

In order to insure a positive'cutting action and delivery of the beet tops into the trough, I have provided a reel 90, which is revolubly mounted in the upright standards 91 on the trough-83 and provided at one end 7 with a sprocketwheel 92 which is driven from a sprocket wheel 93, by means of a chain belt 94. The sprocket wheel 98 is" revolubly mounted on a stub shaft. 95 on one of the standards 91, and rigidly connected with saidsprocket wheel is a bevel gea'r wheel lid-which meshes with a bevel gear wheel 97 rigidly mounted on the shaft 76, so that the reel and sickle are driven simul taneousl with the elevator 61.

I pre air to make the several shafts 55%, 59, etc., intwo parts and provide couplings 99 for connectin them rigidly together. so that in case the orward elevators 61 and 87 are not needed, they can be readily removed and the forward bracket 5% moved back to support the free ends of. the shafts. in this form the machine could be used for various purposes such as. digging beets or the like from the ground without removing the tops. Near the forward end of the frame is a drivens'seat 1th) from which position the driver may readily handle the horses and observe the operation of the machine.

In using the machine, presuming the parts to be constructed anr assembled as described. the elevators 6G and'oi' are adjusted to the height of a wagon box. and the elevators 60 and 61 lowered, so that the runners 7'7 and 79 touch the ground. The machine is then started and the plow lmvered into the ground by means of the Windlass 40. As soon as the plow reaches the row of beets the lever 47 is shifted to mesh the bevel gear wheels 45 and 57 and actuate the elevators, sickle and reel, so that the beet tops are lifted by the fingers 88, cut by the sickle 85 and thrown into the trough 83 by the reel 90 from which point they are carried by the elevators 61 and (37 to the wagon box. After the tops are removed, the mold-board 221 lifts the beet bodies and some dirt from theearth and deposits them onto the elevator 60 which carries them upwardly, removes the dirt and deposits them onto the elevator 66, from where they are conveyed to the wagon box. It the rows are not quite straight, the plow may be shifted laterally to meet the heels, by means of the handle 29.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, v

l. A beet harve or comprising a frame, a plow, av leverlmvmg notches therein, means on the frame for engagement by the notched lever to support the plow, and means for lifting the plow.

:2. A beet harvester comprising a frame, a plow, a lever pivotally mounted on said plow and 11:1 'ing a plurality of edge notches, a pin supported by the frame and adapted for engagement by any one of the lever notches, and a Windlass for lifting or lowering said plow.

3. A- beet harvester COIl'lPl'lSlHg a frame, a plow, a lever pivotally mounted on said )low and having a plurality of edge notches, rackets on. said 1' 'ame, a pin extending between said brackets and adapted for engagement by any one of said notches, and a windlass for lifting said plow.

l. A beet harvester comprising a frame, a plow, a lever pivotall mounted on said plow and having a plura ity of edge notches, a pin supported on said frame and adapted for taking into any one of said notches to pivotally support the lever, a platform on said frame having a slotted aperture for receiving said lever, a notched quadrant on said platform adjacent said aperture, and an elongated pawl on said lever adapted for projection into said notched quadrant at various points in the pivotal movement of said lever.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. TIETGE.

Witnesses:

LYNN ROBINSON, LETA E. (ions. 

